The Boy and the Platypus
by Scooperchan
Summary: Platypi, maneating flowers and flamethrowers. What else could you want in a children's story?


**Disclaimer:** I don't won the characters Sasuke or Ino, Kishimoto-sensei does.

**Author's Note:** This was actually an assignment in my Language Arts class that I turned in.

**The Boy and the Platypus**

There once lived a young emo boy with raven black hair. All the girls in his village adored him for his handsome features, however all the other children of his village mocked him for his hair. It was short with bangs in the front and a massive cowlick in the back. Whenever the boy would attend school, all the children would taunt him.

"Duck butt, duck butt, emo duck butt!" they chorused. Every time the young boy heard their song, he would consciously run a hand down the back of his hair, hoping to smooth down the massive cowlick that coincidently resembled the back feathers of a duck.

As the years went by the children's taunting did not stop. As a result, the young boy became more emo and even the slightest bit angsty. This caused most of the children to avoid him, assuming by his emo appearance and angsty glares that he was equally as cheerful and kind as he looked.

Little did they know, it was quite the opposite.

One day the young boy decided to skip school. Therefore, to waste time he went on a walk. As he walked his usually route through the foresthe noticed a fork in the road that had never existed before-hand.

Curious, the boy decided to follow it.

After many hours, the boy stumbled onto a strange lump in his way. The young boy reached down and nudged the strange lump. Suddenly, it unfolded to reveal a strange creature.

"Greetings young boy, what troubles you?"

Startled that the creature could talk the boy was speechless.

"Anyone who finds my path has trouble clouding his heart. The fact that you're standing before me tells me that you need a listening ear and wise words."

"Who are you?" asked the young boy.

"I am the Great Platypus."

The young boy had never heard of such a thing before. He marveled at the creatures strange appearance.

It had the body and tail of a beaver with the bill of a duck and black webbed feet.

"And your name?" the Great Platypus inquired.

"Sasuke." The boy answered.

"You have not yet answered my question Sasuke-kun. What troubles you enough to put my path in your eyes?"

Sasuke sadly looked down before beginning to speak. "All the children of my village taunt and tease me. They've done it since I was little and now they not only tease me, but they avoid me as well."

The Great Platypus nodded at his story. "I see, but why would they tease you so? Your features are handsome and your heart seems kind."

Sasuke slowly turned around to show the platypus his hair.

"Oh...Now I see...we are alike you and I. I with the face and feet of a duck, while you have the tail end of one. Come, sit, let me tell you a story Sasuke-kun, I'm sure it'll brighten your spirits."

---

**The Tale of the Man-eating Venus Fly Trap**

There once lived a princess named Ino who lived in a beautiful castle. It was on the top of a great hill from which the whole kingdom could be spied.

But no matter how beautiful the castle or the kingdom, the princess only loved one thing: her greenhouse.

Everyday Ino-hime would travel to her green house at the bottom of the great hill to tend to her flowers and plants. She especially adored one rare flower that sat in the middle of the greenhouse. It had been brought to her by her father after his travels to conquer new land. It as ruby red in the sun light and lavender under the moon. Its leaves were more brilliant than emeralds and its pedals soft like silk.

The princess would even sing to her precious flower "to compliment its beauty" she always said.

One day the Ino-hime fell ill and was stuck inside the castle for bed rest. Worried that her beautiful green house and rare flower, she began to send servants down to great hill to tend to her plants.

However, every servant who was sent down the great hill never came back up. And so, slowly but surely, the castle was emptied of all its hired hands.

Finally, after months of illness, the princess was out of servants. Curious and worried she forced her weakened body to trek down the great hill. What she saw in the green house horrified her.

There were skeletons decorating the floor of the green house and her rare flower was messed with flesh and blood.

"Flower! Are you the cause of all my missing servants?" She asked angrily.

The flower opened its mouth and laughed. "Ha ha! Yes, it was I, the evil Orochimaru! I leeched all the life out of everyone of them, and now I'll do the same to you!"

"Wretched flower! Although you were beautiful on the outside you are a monster on the inside. You must pay for your crimes!"

Because the flower had no feet and could not reach her, he could not devour the Ino-hime. So, true to her vow of punishment, the princess grabbed her emergency flamethrower and cremated the evil flower. Afterwards, however, her weakened body died of overexertion.

---

"The End" the Great Platypus finished.

Sasuke stared at him in disbelief. "That did not make me feel better at tall! In fact, that story was slightly depressing."

"On the contrary, you must focus on the moral of the story, not the events. The moral was supposed to brighten your spirit."

"And it was?"

"Don't judge a book by its cover, for whether it be a beautiful flower or an emo boy with a cow lick you might be surprised at what's on the inside and not the out."

Sasuke smiled, "Oh. Then thanks Great Platypus, for your words actually have brightened my spirits."

"No problem duck butt."


End file.
